Gyroscopically-controlled torpedo.



H. W. SHONNARD.

GYROSCOPICALLY CONTROLLED TORPEDO.

APPLICATION FI-LE D AUG.30, I917.

Patented Mar. 4,1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET1 INVENTOR WITNESSES r ,/D W i H W. SHONNARD. GYROSCOPICALLY CONT-ROLLED TORPEDO.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 30, l9!)- Patented Mar. 4,1919.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2 INVENTOR WITNESSES H. W. SHONNARD.

GYROSCOPECALLY CONTROLLED TORPEDO.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-30, 19w.

1 ,296, 334:. Patented Mar. 4, 1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- iNVENTOR H. W. SHONNABD.

GYROSCOPICALLY CONTROLLED TO-RPEDO.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-30, I917.

Patentd Mar. 4.1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4- INVENTOR WITNESSES m: NORRIS Pm: ca, PNDYOLIYNOY. WAsMINoYuN. a. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD W. SHONNARD, OF UPPER MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO GRUCIBLE STEEL COMPANY OF AMERICA, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

GYROSCOPICALLY-CONTROLLED TORPEDO.

Patented Mar. 4, 1919.

Application filed August 30, 1917. Serial No. 188,955.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HAROLD W. SHON- .NARD, residing at Upper Montclair, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, a citizen of the United States, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Gyroscopically Controlled Torpedoes, of which improvements the following is a specification.

My invention relates to gyroscopically controlled automobile torpedoes of the general character shown in my U S. Patents Nos. 1,035,647 and 1,163,606. In the former I have disclosed certain improvements in methods of fire control, whereby the final ejecting impulse for launching torpedoes is initiated after beginning the spinning of the gyroscope, the releasing of the gyroscope being effected before the torpedo is freed from the directing influence of the launching apparatus; while in the second named patent I have disclosed improved mechanism for carrying out the method of the first patent when the torpedo is controlled by an electric motor gyroscope.

The object of my present invention is to further improve the mechanism disclosed in both named patents to carry out the method of the earlier. A more specific object is to provide improved mechanism whereby the gyroscope may be released either by and upon the initial movement of the torpedo as it leaves the launching apparatus, or at any desired time prior to such movement.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings, which form part of my specificatiomI have illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention. Figure 1 is a central longitudinal vertical sectional view of a section of a torpedo afterbody, showing in elevation and partly in section the gyroscope and its lock and lock-controlling mechanism; Fig. 2 a transverse sectional view taken on the line II-II Fig. 1, the gyroscope and parts immediately connected thereto being shown in elevation; Fig. 3 an enlarged detail sectional view taken on the line III-III, Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 a face view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3, the plane of view being indicated by the line IVIV.

As far as some features of my invention are concerned, any desired type of gyroscope may be used, although I, preferably employ an electric motor gyroscope, which, as shown herein, may be of the same general construction as that shown and described in my afore-mentioned Patent No. 1,163,606, and comprising a rotor and ,outer gimbal. The outer gimbal is formed by the gyroscope housing 3, and the entire gyroscope suitably mounted within a casing 12 secured to the shell 1 of the torpedo. Also, as shown in 'such patent, the member movable to and from a position for locking the gyroscope is preferably a reciprocatory or slide member 76, provided with a locking pin 7 8 adapted to enter a suitable pocket or recess in the combined casing and outer gimbal 3 of the gyroscope. As in such patcut, the movement of the locking member in both directions is preferably eflected by the rotation of a shaft 90 provided with a pinion 89 meshing with a second pinion 86, which, in turn meshes with a rack 85 formed on the locking member 76. For moving the member 7 6 to a position to lock the gyroscope there is provided a shaft 91 having at its outer end a wrench head 94, for engagement at the exterior of the torpedo, and at its inner end a pinion 92 meshing with a pinion 93 secured to the shaft 90. Thus an operator may turn the shaft 91 with one hand while with the other hand he manipulates the gyroscope to bring it to the proper position to be engaged by the locking pin.

In the foregoing description of the gyroscope, locking member and connections for moving the latter, the same numerals have been used as appear on Fig. 6 of Patent No. 1,163,606. Hence, such details of construction as are not fully shown herein may be readily understood by referring to this patent.

For unlocking the gyroscope by and upon its movement from the launching mechanism, which in most instances is a launching tube of well known construction, the rotary shaft 90 may be provided with an arm 2 pivotally connected to a link 4. This link may, by means of a starting latch 5, connected to such link by 'a rod 6 and bell crank lever 7, be raised to turn the shaft 90, the starting latch being engaged by a detent provided for the purpose on the inside of the launching tube in a manner well understood in the art.

For turning the shaft 90 to unlock the gyroscope independently of or prior to the iovement of the torpedo, there is provided within the torpedo a motor mechanism (preferablya spring motor) so connected to such shaft that it may be set without rotating the shaft, and also so constructed that the shaft may be turned by the above described starting latch independently of the operation of the motonmechanism;

' In the illustrative embodiment ofmy invention, two sets of mechanism are pro-' vided for this urpose, one located on each side ofthe torpedo.

so that the torpedo may, belaun'ched from either a right or left hand tube, the description of the mechanism will be confined to that shownon the right side of Fig. 2. The shaft 90 has rotatably mounted thereon a pinion 8 provided with a slot 9 adapted to receive a. pin 10 formed on the outer end of an arm 11 secured to such shaft. By thus connecting the pinion to the shaft either member may move independently of the other to an extent determined by the length of the slot 9, The spring motor comprises a rotary'shaft 13 provided at its outer end with a wrench head 14 and at its inner-end 'with a pinion 15 meshing with the pinion 8,

and further provided with an arm 16 con-,

nected to one end of a spring 17 which is properly secured at its outer end to a fixed post 18.

' Means are provided tolock the spring motor when set, and for releasing such look by a, member operable from the exterior of the torpedo. While various specific constructionsmay be provided for these/purposes, the locking of the spring motor is preferably elfected by means of a sliding bar 19 provided, on one side with a rack meshing with pinion 8, the bar being held in the position indicated in Figs. 3 and 4 by means of a spring-pressed pawl 20 engaging a detent in the form of a groove 21 in'another face of the bar. It will be seen that the spring motor mechanism be brought to the locked position thus shown '20; 'l hemoveinent of this button may be advantageously effected by thefmechanism.

showir and described in my application Seerial No 188,956, filed of even date herewith,

' V "or other '"mech'a'nis itlii rpl pose;

' may be; provided for 2- The "spring motor mechanism is prefer- Since both sets are similar in construction, they being provided 1 ably mounted partly adjacent to, and partly upon, a closure member 23 for an'opening in the shell of a torpedo, such member also carrying contactors 24 for closing a circuit through the electric motor gyroscope to effect its spinning. As shown herein, the button is mounted on-this closure and the electrical contacts are arranged substantially the same as shown and described in my before mentioned Patent No. 1,163,606. However, in the present construction, the outer ends of the contactors arerounded so as to insure good electrical contact with the mechanism of the launching tube for closing the circuit through them;

In operation the motor mechanism is first set by turning the shaft 13 until the rack bar 19 is engaged and locked by the pawl 20 The shaft 90 may then be easily turned by means of the shaft 91 to lock the gyroscope. When the torpedo is launched the gyroscope may be unlocked either by the latch 5 or by pressing the button22. The unlocking by the latch 5 is effected by and upon the initial movement of the torpedo, whereas the unlocking by the pressing of the button 22 may be effected, before the torpedo is launched and at such time as the longitudinal axis of the torpedo is pointing in the exactposition to cause the gyroscope to properly guide the torpedo on' its desired course. lVhen the button 22 is pressed to release the bar 19,

the pinion 8 is turned by the pinion 15 im pelled by the'spri'ng l7, theshaft 90 being turned by the arm 11 which is engaged by the end of the slot-9 formed in pinion 8.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a construction which is simple and efl'ective, and whereby the unlocking of the gyroscope may be accomplished in two specific manners following the method disclosed in my before mentioned Patent No. 1,035,647.

Accordingte th'e'p'rovisions of'the patent statute,'I have described the principle and operation of my invention togetherwith'the construction which I now consider to be the bestembodim'ent ther of. However, I de sire to have itflunderstood that, within the sco eef the appended claims; my invention may be practised with other forms of construction than that particularly shown and described. r 7 c V I claim asmy'invention: y

, 1. 'In a gyroscopically controlled'torpedo, the combination with a gyroscope, of a member movable to and from a position to lock said gyroscope, "spring-impelled V mechanism forreleasing the locking member, means for moving said member to locl'zing position, and

means independentjcr said' last named 'means fors'etting'sai'd I'eck reIeas'ing mechanism; 7

;2. In a gyresco'pically controlled torpedo,

- the combination with a gyrosco e, of amem lb'er movable 'PQ-Sitim to lock iso said gyroscope, a rotary member for controlling said locking member, means for turning said rotary member in one direction to move said locking member to locking position, and spring impelled mechanism for turning said rotary member in the opposite direction, and means independent of said rotary-member turning-means for setting said spring impelled mechanism.

3. In a gyroscopically controlled torpedo, the combination with a gyroscope, of a member movable to and from a position to lock said gyroscope, a spring motor, connections between said motor and locking member for releasing the latter, means operable independently of the movement of said .gyroscope locking member for setting and looking said spring motor, and means operable from the exterior of the torpedo for releasing said spring motor locking means.

4:. In a gyroscopically controlled torpedo, the combination with a gyroscope, of a member movable to and from a position to lock said gyroscope, means including a rotary shaft for controlling said locking member, a spring motor, connections between said motor and shaft, means operable independently of the movement of said gyroscope locking member for setting and locking said motor, and means operable from the exterior of the torpedo for releasing said spring motor locking means.

5. In a gyroscopically controlled torpedo, the combination with a gyroscope, of a member movable to and from a position to lock said gyroscope, a rotary shaft for controlling said locking member, a pinion rotatably mounted on said shaft, a connection between 7 said shaft and pinion permitting a limited independent movement of either of said members, a motor geared tosaid pinion, and means operable from the exterior of the torpedo for setting said motor in operation.

6. In a gyroscopically controlled torpedo, the combination with a gyroscope, of a mem ber movable to and from a position to lock said gyroscope, a rotary shaft for controlling said locking member, a pinion rotatably mounted on said shaft, a slotted connection between said shaft and pinion permitting a limited independent movement of either of said members, a spring motor geared to said pinion, a lock to restrain the operation of said motor, and means operable from the exterior of the torpedo for releasing said last named lock.

7. In a gyroscopically controlled torpedo, the combination with a gyroscope, of a member movable to and from a position to lock said gyroscope, a rotary shaft for controlling said locking member, a pinion rotatably mounted on said shaft and provided with a slot, an arm secured to said shaft and extending into said slot for engagement by the pinion, a spring motor for turning said pinion in one direction, a reciprocatory rack meshing with said pinion, a spring pressed pawl for holding said rack in one position against the tension of the spring motor acting through said pinion, and means operable from the exterior of the torpedo for releasing said pawl.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HAROLD W. SHONNARD.

Witnesses:

GEO. V. JAMEs, HERMAN C. ENGELMAN, Jr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents, Washington, D. G. 

